Life happens in the here and now. Everything else is simply a fragment of the mind. Mindfulness – or simply being present – has proven effective in the management of stress, trauma, depression and more.

At our Healing Earth Foundation workshops at women’s shelters in Cape Town over the weekend, we conducted the first workshop in our 8-week mindfulness series, introducing the ladies to the concept and its benefits. An accessible documentary by mindfulness expert Jon Kabat-Zinn kick-started the programme, followed by a group discussion and body scan meditation.

A highlight of the day? Seeing how calm and centred the ladies were after just one meditation, and hearing one of them tell us how she felt like she was breathing through her toes! We can’t wait to return to continue our work at the centres next weekend.

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What a wonderful time we had at yesterday’s Healing Earth Foundation year-end celebrations!

The ladies and little ones at the refuge and rehabilitation centres at which we present our weekly personal development and yoga workshops were so inspired by the heartfelt message shared by our Director Elisabeth, and everyone had a great time feasting on treats and sharing both the joys and sorrows of the year that’s passed.

We’re so grateful to be able to contribute to our community in this way, and are looking forward to another year of learning, loving and laughter at the special centres!

There’s nothing like a great yoga class to help us remember and appreciate the many blessings in our lives.

At this weekend’s Foundation workshops at Cape women’s shelters, we expressed gratitude through yoga by dedicating our practice to someone to whom we are grateful, and setting an intention to appreciate each moment of the practice and all the wonderful things our bodies can do. We savoured the breath in our lungs, the air on our skin, and the soothing and stretching sesations in our limbs. We pressed our hands together at our hearts in Anjali Mudra in an offering of gratitude for each breath, and counted our blessings whilst resting in savasana after the end of a great class.

Our latest Healing Earth workshops at Cape women’s centres were spent investigating the meaning of miracles and celebrating the miracles of the female body.

The personal development segment drew on A Course in Miracles and subsequent teachings by Marianne Williamson and Gabby Bernstein. We explored how a miracle is merely a change in perception, and looked at all the things we wanted to shift perception on in our lives.

For some of the ladies this was a real breakthrough (as it was for us when we first discovered it), as they finally realised that they have power over how they see and experience the world.

On this high note, we went into a yoga class that explored the miracle of our bodies – how they move and function despite our constant criticism. The ladies were reminded to change their perceptions of their bodies and their abilities throughout the classes, and this gentler, more accepting approach lead to a more enjoyable experience for all.

We were so fortunate to be able to celebrate Heritage Day at our women’s outreach centres in Cape Town.

We spent a wonderful afternoon honouring the special day with the ladies, exploring what it means to truly honour ourselves and respect each other – both as women and as South Africans.

We faced and transcended many of the limitations put on us by ourselves and others, and committed to celebrating both our shared roots and our individual flavours in ways that feel best to us going forward.

Our Healing Earth Foundation workshops over the weekend were centred around the theme of Gratitude and Goals. We were so moved by how the participants opened up to us about the challenges they felt were standing between them and the achievement of their goals, and after much encouragement and the exploration of a host of limiting beliefs, everyone was re-inspired about their goals and dreams.

We also looked at the power of gratitude as an attitude and a daily practice, and the ladies were both surprised at how much they’ve already got to be grateful for, and amazed at how much better positioned they felt to achieve their goals when they took some time to acknowledge all the blessings they already have in their lives.

Our Healing Foundation workshops over the weekend were filled with joy and laughter!

We focused on encouraging attendees to celebrate their bodies, reclaiming their sense of their internal and external landscapes after the abuse/misfortune that has rendered them feeling powerless over their own beings.

The weather was wonderful and we practised out in the sunshine. We even had a bit of a celebratory dance/ice-cream party, and invited the ladies’ littles ones to join in a series of bonding partner activities at one of the centres.

We celebrated spring with outdoor Healing Earth Foundation workshops at our women’s shelters over the weekend.

Our meditations, visualisations, journalling and personal development walks were all focused on new beginnings, and the yoga classes aimed to help the ladies ‘shake off’ the doldrums of winter and the past, loosening and strengthening their bodies for both warmer weather and a brighter future.

Our days spent giving back are a highlight on the Healing Earth calendar, and we hope to enjoy a glorious summer with these wonderful women.

We offered a deep immersion into the philosophy, benefits and practice of yoga at our Healing Earth Foundation workshops at Cape women’s centres over the weekend.

It’s always so inspiring for us to see the ladies becoming more comfortable and dignified in their bodies as they flow through the practice, and we’re blown away by their progress after just a few sessions.

It is a joy and an honour to be able to share the blessings of this ancient practice with those who need it most.